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FTL, Y'all!: Tales From the Age of the $200 Warp Drive
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, with absolute precision, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will be instantly—and chaotically—democratized. The entire cosmos is suddenly within reach of all humankind, without organization, authority, or limitation.
This comics anthology is about what happens next.
The concept for FTL, Y’all! was inspired by a 12-year-old RPG.net thread, which was in turn inspired by the work of Jerry Oltion. "FTL" is an acronym for Faster Than Light, commonly used in science fiction to describe the capabilities of warp drives.
With 25 stories and over 350 pages of comics, FTL, Y'all! is one of Iron Circus Comics' biggest anthologies ever.
This comics anthology is about what happens next.
The concept for FTL, Y’all! was inspired by a 12-year-old RPG.net thread, which was in turn inspired by the work of Jerry Oltion. "FTL" is an acronym for Faster Than Light, commonly used in science fiction to describe the capabilities of warp drives.
With 25 stories and over 350 pages of comics, FTL, Y'all! is one of Iron Circus Comics' biggest anthologies ever.
350 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2018
13 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
C. Spike Trotman
34 books131 followersTrotman is also the creator of the webcomics Lucas and Odessa, Sparkneedle, and Blikada, as well as the somewhat less serious Playing With Dolls. She lives in Chicago with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
November 9, 2021
Three stars does not express how I felt about this book. I loved the premise, the artwork, and the stories. Problem is, I didn't always understand what was going on. It's very possible to do a short piece that is complete, but few of these were that. Most seemed like snippets from longer stories, lacking background on the characters and setting and lacking clear resolution. And almost all of them were intriguing enough that I wanted more.
January 25, 2019
I need to say up top that my review of this book is biased, because I am one of the contributors. Regardless- this book is FANTASTIC. Each story plays with the premise of a world in which faster than light speed engines exist, and can be built at a relatively low cost by a layperson. Many of the stories feature queer or POC characters. Some include contact with alien life- others with colonization, scientific exploration, families, separation and reunion, depression, joy- it's a rich feast. I can't even pick out favorites, because all of the stories were so strong!
March 20, 2019
It's a little uneven as most graphic anthologies are, especially in the first half, but this tribute to the works of Jerry Oltion won me over with fun stories about what might happen if instantaneous space travel was opened up to the common schmo. I loved the diversity in the cast and creators. Stellar contributors in my opinion were Maia Kobabe, Jonathon Dalton, Ahueonao, and Rachel Ordway.
Several of the stories in here could easily be be spun off into solo volumes.
Several of the stories in here could easily be be spun off into solo volumes.
June 30, 2021
More often than not I was dazed and confused by the short stories based on the premise (though I thought the premise was fascinating) but there was too much going on visually changing with each new author/illustrator that I didn't engage with it though I was entertained by it.
Sci fi and space travel, y'all.
Sci fi and space travel, y'all.
December 18, 2018
Pros: wide variety of stories, some excellent artwork, inclusive stories
Cons: often abrupt endings, not hard SF, some artwork I didn’t care for
First off, reviews are subjective. Everyone likes different things. This is even more apparent when it comes to artwork. So while some of the stories and some of the artwork didn’t appeal to me, that won’t be true for everyone. There’s quite a variety of both stories and artwork here, and the ones that didn’t work for me might turn out to be your favourites.
I was surprised by how many stories had retrofitted cars as spaceships. In fact, don’t think too much about the science in most of the stories as they generally don’t deal with the practicalities of space (like oxygen, radiation shielding, gravity, food, water, waste). The few that did, stood out, and I really enjoyed them.
There are 21 stories in this collection, and some of them are very short, almost more vignettes than full short stories. Some of them end abruptly, which I didn’t like.
The black and white artwork was varied. Some of the stories were gorgeous, some had artwork I couldn’t stand.
I loved the inclusive nature of the stories. There was a variety of characters from different racial backgrounds and sexual identities.
On the whole the collection is a good mix. There are some real knockout stories and some I personally didn’t care for, but it’s worth the read.
“M.S.P.I.P.S.P” by Kay Rossbach
**** Louanne Davis navigates the spaceport with her daughter before their flight to Mars to reunite with her wife. - I enjoyed the artwork. Anyone’s who’s flown will sympathize with Louanne’s plight as one thing after another goes wrong.
“Lia” by Alexxander Dovelin
**** A woman’s life work is used to capture experiences of space as viewed by androids. - The artwork seemed a little more realistic in style. I liked the story. It’s about finding people who believe in you, as you navigate a world where profit is everything.
“Microwave” by Jay Eaton
**** Rowan’s on her way to use a warp pod to travel to Seatle, but her uncles are driving her nuts with their talk of safety issues. - Not my favourite art style, but an interesting short story about being prepared to act when things go wrong.
“Cabbage Island” by Mulele Jarvis
**** Yu’s dream is to build a car that can warp through space in the hopes of finding a new planet to live on, as the world gets worse and worse. - I liked the artwork and the story was engaging. Not sure when Hondo had time to bake the cookies, and the ending wasn’t to my taste.
“Passing Through” by Jamie Kaye and Sunny
** Two friends chat about what they’re up to now. - There were a few panels (the ones in the bar) where I wasn’t sure what was going on. I do love the idea of having a personal transporter though, and being able to tour the world/galaxy. I was left wondering how the phone didn’t cut out each time the man teleported.
“Last Exit” by Christine Williamson and M. Kennedy
* Mary runs away from home to space and gets caught by the predatory bureaucracy. - I was not a fan of the artwork. I found the small script crowded and hard to read. Changing the engine’s not enough to make a car space worthy and she was woefully unprepared for the trip considering she left when she did out of pique rather than need.
“Ignition” by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo
* Rhea and Imogen are a salvage team hired by a fascist leader to recover the Discovery shuttle. - I didn’t like the artwork for this story and the story left me with a several questions.
“Wayhome” by Evan Dahm
*** A family makes a home in a new place, leaving the city behind. But isolation breeds paranoia. - I liked aspects of this story. The artwork was interesting and there’s a great paranoia reaction at one point. The ending was strange.
“Space to Grow” by N.N. Chan
***** A young astrobiologist blogging about her first solo assignment is beset by internet trolls. - I liked the artwork. I also appreciated that it depicts a common problem for internet creators. Negative comments can really bring you down, even if you’re doing what you love.
“Soft Physics” by Blue Delliquanti
*** People in disparate communities await packets of info, some of which contain the exploits of Phoney and Mandy. - The artwork wasn’t quite my style. The story was interesting but didn’t have much of a conclusion.
“Brilliant + Handsome” by C.B. Webb
*** Two boys build ships to go to Mars, one in a car, the other in a washing machine. - Didn’t like the artwork. I had to read the ending twice to understand what happened, but really liked it once I got it.
“Failsafe” by Rachel Ordway
** A pilot tries to commit suicide via black hole. - More of a vignette than a story, it does portray frustrated despair very well.
“I Want to Be Alone” by Seren Krakens
* Fed up with life among slobs, the protagonist takes off alone to find the perfect planet where they can be alone. - I found the artwork very confusing and had a difficult time understanding what was going on.
“Finders Keepers” by Ahueonao
***** Three friends attempt to loot an abandoned luxury space station whose AI killed the previous guests and crew. - Loved the artwork and the story was a lot of fun.
“Prodigal Sunset” by Sara Duvall and James F. Wright
*** A group of teens from various planets try to find a cure for the strange illness they share. - Nice artwork. I was left with a lot of questions.
“Words From the Dead” by Jonathon Dalton
**** Two archaeologist study the remains of the long dead Taucetian society. - I appreciated that the author paid some attention to science in this story. The artwork was ok. Loved the story’s ending.
“Story of a Rescue” by Nathaniel Wilson
*** Two kids and their pilot are heading out to find their dead beat step-dad. - The kids told a lot of back story, which seemed a bit odd as the pilot was older than them and I’d have expected him to have a better sense of current affairs. Loved the ending.
“Solitary” by David Andry and Paul Schultz
**** A prisoner’s sentence is commuted provided he sign on to a new program. - Interesting story that was well executed.
“Graddad’s Second Wife” by Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
**** Sergio’s granddad needs help keeping his new wife - an alien - from ICE. - The alien was kind of disturbing, but the story was otherwise fun.
“The Senior Project” by Maia Kobabe
**** While other kids work on FTL thesis projects, Willow cultivates a fast-growing crop of Adzuki beans. - I liked the relationship that formed between Willow and Kai, as they both worked on their projects. I also liked the practical applications for Kai’s teleporter.
“My Stars and Garters” by Ainsley Seago
**** A couple builds a spaceship so they can live their most authentic Victorian lives away from people who find them strange. - I suspect people who live differently would be among the first to leave Earth should an FTL drive become cheaply available. An enjoyable end to the collection.
Cons: often abrupt endings, not hard SF, some artwork I didn’t care for
First off, reviews are subjective. Everyone likes different things. This is even more apparent when it comes to artwork. So while some of the stories and some of the artwork didn’t appeal to me, that won’t be true for everyone. There’s quite a variety of both stories and artwork here, and the ones that didn’t work for me might turn out to be your favourites.
I was surprised by how many stories had retrofitted cars as spaceships. In fact, don’t think too much about the science in most of the stories as they generally don’t deal with the practicalities of space (like oxygen, radiation shielding, gravity, food, water, waste). The few that did, stood out, and I really enjoyed them.
There are 21 stories in this collection, and some of them are very short, almost more vignettes than full short stories. Some of them end abruptly, which I didn’t like.
The black and white artwork was varied. Some of the stories were gorgeous, some had artwork I couldn’t stand.
I loved the inclusive nature of the stories. There was a variety of characters from different racial backgrounds and sexual identities.
On the whole the collection is a good mix. There are some real knockout stories and some I personally didn’t care for, but it’s worth the read.
“M.S.P.I.P.S.P” by Kay Rossbach
**** Louanne Davis navigates the spaceport with her daughter before their flight to Mars to reunite with her wife. - I enjoyed the artwork. Anyone’s who’s flown will sympathize with Louanne’s plight as one thing after another goes wrong.
“Lia” by Alexxander Dovelin
**** A woman’s life work is used to capture experiences of space as viewed by androids. - The artwork seemed a little more realistic in style. I liked the story. It’s about finding people who believe in you, as you navigate a world where profit is everything.
“Microwave” by Jay Eaton
**** Rowan’s on her way to use a warp pod to travel to Seatle, but her uncles are driving her nuts with their talk of safety issues. - Not my favourite art style, but an interesting short story about being prepared to act when things go wrong.
“Cabbage Island” by Mulele Jarvis
**** Yu’s dream is to build a car that can warp through space in the hopes of finding a new planet to live on, as the world gets worse and worse. - I liked the artwork and the story was engaging. Not sure when Hondo had time to bake the cookies, and the ending wasn’t to my taste.
“Passing Through” by Jamie Kaye and Sunny
** Two friends chat about what they’re up to now. - There were a few panels (the ones in the bar) where I wasn’t sure what was going on. I do love the idea of having a personal transporter though, and being able to tour the world/galaxy. I was left wondering how the phone didn’t cut out each time the man teleported.
“Last Exit” by Christine Williamson and M. Kennedy
* Mary runs away from home to space and gets caught by the predatory bureaucracy. - I was not a fan of the artwork. I found the small script crowded and hard to read. Changing the engine’s not enough to make a car space worthy and she was woefully unprepared for the trip considering she left when she did out of pique rather than need.
“Ignition” by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo
* Rhea and Imogen are a salvage team hired by a fascist leader to recover the Discovery shuttle. - I didn’t like the artwork for this story and the story left me with a several questions.
“Wayhome” by Evan Dahm
*** A family makes a home in a new place, leaving the city behind. But isolation breeds paranoia. - I liked aspects of this story. The artwork was interesting and there’s a great paranoia reaction at one point. The ending was strange.
“Space to Grow” by N.N. Chan
***** A young astrobiologist blogging about her first solo assignment is beset by internet trolls. - I liked the artwork. I also appreciated that it depicts a common problem for internet creators. Negative comments can really bring you down, even if you’re doing what you love.
“Soft Physics” by Blue Delliquanti
*** People in disparate communities await packets of info, some of which contain the exploits of Phoney and Mandy. - The artwork wasn’t quite my style. The story was interesting but didn’t have much of a conclusion.
“Brilliant + Handsome” by C.B. Webb
*** Two boys build ships to go to Mars, one in a car, the other in a washing machine. - Didn’t like the artwork. I had to read the ending twice to understand what happened, but really liked it once I got it.
“Failsafe” by Rachel Ordway
** A pilot tries to commit suicide via black hole. - More of a vignette than a story, it does portray frustrated despair very well.
“I Want to Be Alone” by Seren Krakens
* Fed up with life among slobs, the protagonist takes off alone to find the perfect planet where they can be alone. - I found the artwork very confusing and had a difficult time understanding what was going on.
“Finders Keepers” by Ahueonao
***** Three friends attempt to loot an abandoned luxury space station whose AI killed the previous guests and crew. - Loved the artwork and the story was a lot of fun.
“Prodigal Sunset” by Sara Duvall and James F. Wright
*** A group of teens from various planets try to find a cure for the strange illness they share. - Nice artwork. I was left with a lot of questions.
“Words From the Dead” by Jonathon Dalton
**** Two archaeologist study the remains of the long dead Taucetian society. - I appreciated that the author paid some attention to science in this story. The artwork was ok. Loved the story’s ending.
“Story of a Rescue” by Nathaniel Wilson
*** Two kids and their pilot are heading out to find their dead beat step-dad. - The kids told a lot of back story, which seemed a bit odd as the pilot was older than them and I’d have expected him to have a better sense of current affairs. Loved the ending.
“Solitary” by David Andry and Paul Schultz
**** A prisoner’s sentence is commuted provided he sign on to a new program. - Interesting story that was well executed.
“Graddad’s Second Wife” by Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
**** Sergio’s granddad needs help keeping his new wife - an alien - from ICE. - The alien was kind of disturbing, but the story was otherwise fun.
“The Senior Project” by Maia Kobabe
**** While other kids work on FTL thesis projects, Willow cultivates a fast-growing crop of Adzuki beans. - I liked the relationship that formed between Willow and Kai, as they both worked on their projects. I also liked the practical applications for Kai’s teleporter.
“My Stars and Garters” by Ainsley Seago
**** A couple builds a spaceship so they can live their most authentic Victorian lives away from people who find them strange. - I suspect people who live differently would be among the first to leave Earth should an FTL drive become cheaply available. An enjoyable end to the collection.
January 30, 2019
Day off of school today due to the temperature being-20 (-50 with windchill) here in the Chicago suburbs. I have enjoyably spent my morning reading this anthology.
This book is a perfect example of why I love anthologies especially when the entries are centered around a theme like this one does. The various ways creators deliver a futuristic sci-fi story are so interesting and enjoyable. Also, the amount of creators who contributed to this book that I was previously unaware of is embarrassing on my behalf. I bought this knowing Maia Kobabe contributed (eir entry is fantastic by the way), but besides eir I was only familiar with two other creators (Blue Delliquanti and Rachel Ordway whose entries are also fantastic). This morning I’ve had the pleasure of reading awesome short stories following me looking up these contributors online to see what other works they’ve done.
So big thanks to C. Spike Trotman for putting together an awesome anthology and introducing me to a bunch of new creators to follow!
This book is a perfect example of why I love anthologies especially when the entries are centered around a theme like this one does. The various ways creators deliver a futuristic sci-fi story are so interesting and enjoyable. Also, the amount of creators who contributed to this book that I was previously unaware of is embarrassing on my behalf. I bought this knowing Maia Kobabe contributed (eir entry is fantastic by the way), but besides eir I was only familiar with two other creators (Blue Delliquanti and Rachel Ordway whose entries are also fantastic). This morning I’ve had the pleasure of reading awesome short stories following me looking up these contributors online to see what other works they’ve done.
So big thanks to C. Spike Trotman for putting together an awesome anthology and introducing me to a bunch of new creators to follow!
July 21, 2020
Six months from now, as global capitalism crumbles (lmao IMAGINE), schematics for a faster-than-light engine that can be built with $200 of materials are anonymously uploaded to the internet, instantly democratizing interstellar travel and scattering humanity across the entire cosmos. Class be damned, one need only follow some instructions, stick the engine in a car or any four-walled vessel, download a navigation app, and take off. This is the future liberals want.
When you have a premise with that much room for exploration in virtually every direction, from how the first wave of "FTL" culture completely reshapes the landscape of social media/long-distance relationships/the gig economy/streaming/VR/genealogy/commercial travel/the prison system/what-happens-when-your-dumbass-unattended-kid-puts-an-engine-in-the-washing-machine/etc., a graphic novel anthology format arguably has to be the best way to cover the most bases in the shortest amount of time, even despite the inherently hit-or-miss nature.
Overall, just killer grab-bag, bite-sized sci-fi for this moment.
When you have a premise with that much room for exploration in virtually every direction, from how the first wave of "FTL" culture completely reshapes the landscape of social media/long-distance relationships/the gig economy/streaming/VR/genealogy/commercial travel/the prison system/what-happens-when-your-dumbass-unattended-kid-puts-an-engine-in-the-washing-machine/etc., a graphic novel anthology format arguably has to be the best way to cover the most bases in the shortest amount of time, even despite the inherently hit-or-miss nature.
Overall, just killer grab-bag, bite-sized sci-fi for this moment.
January 5, 2022
I read so many anthologies, yet I never rate them story by story. Well! That stops now!
Soft Physics: 1/5
Cabbage Island: 3/5
M.S.P.I.P.S.P: 5/5
Lia: 1/5
Passing Through: 3/5
Ignition: 3/5
Brilliant & Handsome: 2/5
Space to Grow: 5/5
Failsafe: 4/5
Finders Keepers: 5/5
Microwave: 4/5
Prodigal Sunset: 2/5
Story of a Rescue: 3/5
Words from the Dead: 5/5
Solitary: 4/5
Granddad’s Second Wife: 5/5
The Senior Project: 5/5
My Stars and Garters: 3/5
Wayhome: 1/5
Overall, I think it’s a fun idea and so many great creators here contribute to the $200 warp drive lore in fascinating ways. Like any anthology, some are too confusing while others make me crave an entire book based on just a few pages. I gotta give it up for The Senior Project and Finders Keepers for being so spectacular (ugh I want these stories to keep going).
Soft Physics: 1/5
Cabbage Island: 3/5
M.S.P.I.P.S.P: 5/5
Lia: 1/5
Passing Through: 3/5
Ignition: 3/5
Brilliant & Handsome: 2/5
Space to Grow: 5/5
Failsafe: 4/5
Finders Keepers: 5/5
Microwave: 4/5
Prodigal Sunset: 2/5
Story of a Rescue: 3/5
Words from the Dead: 5/5
Solitary: 4/5
Granddad’s Second Wife: 5/5
The Senior Project: 5/5
My Stars and Garters: 3/5
Wayhome: 1/5
Overall, I think it’s a fun idea and so many great creators here contribute to the $200 warp drive lore in fascinating ways. Like any anthology, some are too confusing while others make me crave an entire book based on just a few pages. I gotta give it up for The Senior Project and Finders Keepers for being so spectacular (ugh I want these stories to keep going).
June 19, 2019
Nineteen stories inspired by the common theme of "detailed schematics for a $200 faster than light engine", leading to the instant and chaotic democratization of the cosmos. I didn't recognize any of the artists here, but many are web comic illustrators and all the credits are included in the back.
I picked this up from the library "new" shelf for Paul Davey's cover illustration. My favorite stories were probably Words From the Dead, The Senior Project, and especially Lia (both story and art style). It appears C. Spike Trotman, a web comic creator herself, has put together other collections, and I would like to check some more out.
I picked this up from the library "new" shelf for Paul Davey's cover illustration. My favorite stories were probably Words From the Dead, The Senior Project, and especially Lia (both story and art style). It appears C. Spike Trotman, a web comic creator herself, has put together other collections, and I would like to check some more out.
February 13, 2019
Just like with all short story collections, I really loved some of these comics and others were fine. I felt the length for each comic was a little on the short side but maybe that was just me wanted to read more from certain stories.
Overall I loved the connecting conceit through the comics, a $200 warp engine that disrupts life as we know it. The comics offered a unique mix of hard sci-fi, dystopian, and a touch of fantasy.
Super enjoyed this volume for one of my favorite comic publishers, Iron Circus. Highly recommend.
Overall I loved the connecting conceit through the comics, a $200 warp engine that disrupts life as we know it. The comics offered a unique mix of hard sci-fi, dystopian, and a touch of fantasy.
Super enjoyed this volume for one of my favorite comic publishers, Iron Circus. Highly recommend.
January 16, 2019
Like with any anthology, the art, narratives and quality of each story varies from chapter to chapter, but goddamn, that's a lot of impressive takes on the main idea of the $200 FTL engine. Highly recommended for those who love speculative fiction and comics.
January 27, 2020
As with any anthology, some of the content is better than others. I feel like a lot of the stories were not very well planned, but the ones that did do well did VERY well. My favorite was Ignition by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo.
January 6, 2019
I've never met an Iron Circus anthology I didn't like, but FTL, Y'all! is a cut above. I loved every story and wish several of them were ongoing comics.
March 25, 2020
Usually comic anthologies feel like a pile of excerpts, rather than stories. A few of these end quickly, or made me want more, but they still feel like STORIES, and some of them are absolutely fantastic. They're all set in the same timeline, so you get a slow worldbuilding as you go, and each creator has that much more room for content. I love it.
March 30, 2019
Pretty good comic anthology. A nice variety of art styles and stories. There’s a very good dog, some spot on commentary of social media, and some cute but deadly aliens.
June 4, 2019
I love the wide variety of stories included in this anthology and how many different takes there were on a world with a FTL engine. My favorites tended to be those that revolved around families and people who were affected by space travel and light years of separation. A wonderful imagining of what our near future could be like....
February 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️'s
October 23, 2018
'FTL, Y'all!: Tales from the Age of the $200 Warp Drive' is a collection of stories edited by Amanda Lafrenais. The concept is in the subtitle, but I wish a short introduction had been included on what brought the idea on.
It's the near future (or maybe even now!) and warp drives can be made cheap. This leads to a series of people shooting themselves in to space in buses, cars and washing machines. There are stories about how dreary traveling at warp speed can still be, like modern airports. There is a young woman who chooses growing crops because the rest of her classmates have chosen warp drive projects.
It's a varied collection, and the art that accompanies is also varied. Some stories and art work, some don't. There were a couple stories where the art was just hard on the eyes. My favorite story in the collection is Wayhome by Evan Dahm.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
It's the near future (or maybe even now!) and warp drives can be made cheap. This leads to a series of people shooting themselves in to space in buses, cars and washing machines. There are stories about how dreary traveling at warp speed can still be, like modern airports. There is a young woman who chooses growing crops because the rest of her classmates have chosen warp drive projects.
It's a varied collection, and the art that accompanies is also varied. Some stories and art work, some don't. There were a couple stories where the art was just hard on the eyes. My favorite story in the collection is Wayhome by Evan Dahm.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
December 7, 2022
A collection of short comics all based on the same premise: Six months from now, detailed schematics that describe how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily available parts will be anonymously uploaded to the internet. This is what happens next.
This is from Iron Circus, so you know it's quality work. The book has grayscale art with a variety of voices, and many of the stories are casually, unexceptionally, queer. On the whole, I enjoyed this, though some of the stories just weren't my style, and others didn't make good use of their limited space. Several felt like sketches rather than fully realized stories.
Three of my favorites:
Soft Physics, by Blue Delliquant: In a time where data is hard to transmit and receive, this story is pieced together through news, video, social media posts, and fanfic. I liked the collage effect as it echoes how we receive news and entertainment today, in pieces. The ending is ambiguous, which makes the whole thing feel rather trivial, but if these future fans are anything like us, we know they'll either continue to speculate in the absence of any new information or just move on to the next big thing.
Passing Through, by Jamie Kaye and Sunny: This has a lovely style with light lines and a lot of open space. I would have liked to know more about this man and his sadness, and his relationship to the person he's missing, but as it is, it's an stark portrait of yearning, and the white space really makes this piece stand out in a collection that uses a lot of black ink.
Solitary, written by David Andry, with art by Paul Schultz and letters by Lucas Gattoni: A Black prisoner is selected for a special mission and offered a chance at freedom. This was probably my favorite from the collection. It's just so spare and tight and does exactly what it means to without any messing around. Every panel is important and there aren't any extras.
This was published in 2018 and several of the pieces were clearly informed by the current political climate and confront the spectre of Donald Trump and his Republican Party with varying degrees of subtlety and bloodthirst. Climate change also features heavily. As you can imagine, most of these are cynical and upsetting. There are a few lighter pieces, like Finders Keepers, by ahueonao, about three friends and their plan to loot a luxury space station, or M.S.P.I.P.S.P., by Kay Rossbach, about the trivial annoyances of navigating a spaceport, but they're outnumbered by the ones that give us a dark, dystopian future. This isn't, in general, the uplifting kind of science fiction. Instead, it largely focuses on the consequences of unchecked power, and how the human race is impulsive, selfish, and untrustworthy.
Contains: references to climate disasters; natural disasters; authoritarian states; child harm/death; cyber bullying and harassment; violence, including domestic violence; attempted suicide; the slaughter of a beast for food; non-con alien penetration, abduction, and mind control. See my status updates for specifics.
This is from Iron Circus, so you know it's quality work. The book has grayscale art with a variety of voices, and many of the stories are casually, unexceptionally, queer. On the whole, I enjoyed this, though some of the stories just weren't my style, and others didn't make good use of their limited space. Several felt like sketches rather than fully realized stories.
Three of my favorites:
Soft Physics, by Blue Delliquant: In a time where data is hard to transmit and receive, this story is pieced together through news, video, social media posts, and fanfic. I liked the collage effect as it echoes how we receive news and entertainment today, in pieces. The ending is ambiguous, which makes the whole thing feel rather trivial, but if these future fans are anything like us, we know they'll either continue to speculate in the absence of any new information or just move on to the next big thing.
Passing Through, by Jamie Kaye and Sunny: This has a lovely style with light lines and a lot of open space. I would have liked to know more about this man and his sadness, and his relationship to the person he's missing, but as it is, it's an stark portrait of yearning, and the white space really makes this piece stand out in a collection that uses a lot of black ink.
Solitary, written by David Andry, with art by Paul Schultz and letters by Lucas Gattoni: A Black prisoner is selected for a special mission and offered a chance at freedom. This was probably my favorite from the collection. It's just so spare and tight and does exactly what it means to without any messing around. Every panel is important and there aren't any extras.
This was published in 2018 and several of the pieces were clearly informed by the current political climate and confront the spectre of Donald Trump and his Republican Party with varying degrees of subtlety and bloodthirst. Climate change also features heavily. As you can imagine, most of these are cynical and upsetting. There are a few lighter pieces, like Finders Keepers, by ahueonao, about three friends and their plan to loot a luxury space station, or M.S.P.I.P.S.P., by Kay Rossbach, about the trivial annoyances of navigating a spaceport, but they're outnumbered by the ones that give us a dark, dystopian future. This isn't, in general, the uplifting kind of science fiction. Instead, it largely focuses on the consequences of unchecked power, and how the human race is impulsive, selfish, and untrustworthy.
Contains: references to climate disasters; natural disasters; authoritarian states; child harm/death; cyber bullying and harassment; violence, including domestic violence; attempted suicide; the slaughter of a beast for food; non-con alien penetration, abduction, and mind control. See my status updates for specifics.
April 5, 2024
A short story anthology with some good stories, some really good stories, some nonsensical stories and some so short they seemed to be a feeling over an actual story. As some of them are extremely short I will be fairly short on my summaries and thoughts. It was an interesting read as a whole. I just wish more of the stories were more complete.
Soft Physics
By: Blue Delliquanti
This story (if there is even one) is told through a delivered internet package full of internet videos, chat, and articles following the concept of FTL influencers? I think I understand the ending, but the story (if there is one) was too fragmented to be understood without a lot of work.
Cabbage Island
By: Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis
Yu finds plans on the dark web to build a warp drive and builds it in hopes to escape an Earth full of political and environmental collapse. The feels.
M.S.P.I.P.S.P
By: Kay Rossbach
A story of a mother and her daughter traveling to Mars. It is basically about the trials and tribulations of getting through theairport space port. It was a fun read.
Lia
By: Alexander Dovelin
A short tale of the woman who helped build space travel with androids. I thought it was pretty.
Passing Through
By: Jamie Kaye & Sunny
Marty is having a phone conversation as he zips around the world with a transporter. This one was another story too abstract for me. I did like the art, though.
Ignition
By: Iris Jay (writer) & Skolli Rubedo (artist)
Astra Salvage is on a post-apocalyptic Earth with an assignment to recover an antique space rocket. I like the story. It had a good flow. I liked the characters as well. They are likable enough I wish I could go on more adventures with them.
Brilliant + Handsome
By: CB Webb
A couple kids (teens? adults?) are arguing whether or not the washing machine with an FTL drive is space worthy. This was more of a scene without a real end than a story. I think I can see what the creator was trying to do, but I think we needed more time with the characters or more than a single conversation of them arguing.
Space to Grow
By: NN Chan
SpaceAce is an astrobiologist out cataloging specimens from different planets and recording her adventures in an informational blog. This is a well formed story about internet bullying. I loved the art and the characters. I would love to read more, but the story was complete enough to not to need more.
FailSafe
By: Rachel Ordway
The unnamed character is trying to get home, but the ship’s onboard security systems will not let them. This is another one I feel is more capturing a feeling or moment rather than an actual story (though there is a feeling of rise and fall of action). It does perfectly capture desperation combined with anxiety and fear.
Finders Keepers
By: Ahueonao
A trio of young adults decide to travel to The Ozymandias, a luxury space station that is effectively abandon-ware in hopes for sweet sweet loot. This was great. It wasn’t anything deep, but the writing and the characters were so much fun. It is tied as my favorite from the collection.
Microwave
By: Jay Eaton
Rowan is traveling to a warp center with her constantly arguing uncles. I think this was an AMAZING coming-of-age or end-of-innocence story. This isn’t one of my favorites (I have a weakness for humor), but the creator did a great job.
Prodigal Sunset
By: James F. Wright & Little Corvus
A group of five teenagers of various alien species have two things in common; one, they all have the same deadly virus and two, they all have the same father? I had an extremely hard time understanding what was happening and then the story was just over. I felt like I was thrown in the middle of the story and didn’t get an end. I did like the character designs and how the virus was affecting them differently was interesting.
Story of a Rescue
By: Nathaniel Wilson
A brother and a sister are on a quest to find their step father who ran off to join a kind of space race. Normally, I am not a huge fan of people just sitting around just talking, but the writing was so entertaining that I have to make an exception. Also, the ending is the best. This tied for my favorite.
Words From the Dead
By: Jonathon Dalton
Meegan and Gabriel are trying to fund their astro-archeology research through video blogs even though the interest isn’t there until they find a new planet that has very intact “ruins.” I think the start was a little slow, but the ending was very good.
Solitary
By: David Andry (writer), Paul Schultz (art), Lucas Gattoni (letters)
The main character is doing time in a prison and gets the offer to live in a space colony to reduce his sentence. Very short with little dialog, but gets to the dark punchline very concisely without any extra fat.
Grandad’s Second Wife
By: Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
Sergio is visited by his grandpa who entered Earth (more or less) illegally and forces Sergio to host his worm wife so that she will not be caught by immigration. I love this one. It is a little silly and cartoony, but I had so much fun.
The Senior Project
By: Maia Kobabe
Willow is the only person in her class that does not want to build an FTL drive for their senior project and instead wants to work on a project that will improve the Earth rather than escape it. I thought this story was nice. It turns into a story of camaraderie between her and another student who is working on a FTL drive. I like friendship stories.
My Stars and Garters
By: Ainsley Seago
A Victorian couple want to escape persecution via space travel. It is a pretty fun short story and oddly optimistic in the end.
Way Home
By: Evan Dahm
A couple with a young daughter travel to another planet (world?) to escape civilization. This is a haunting story of darkness and going native.
Soft Physics
By: Blue Delliquanti
This story (if there is even one) is told through a delivered internet package full of internet videos, chat, and articles following the concept of FTL influencers? I think I understand the ending, but the story (if there is one) was too fragmented to be understood without a lot of work.
Cabbage Island
By: Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis
Yu finds plans on the dark web to build a warp drive and builds it in hopes to escape an Earth full of political and environmental collapse. The feels.
M.S.P.I.P.S.P
By: Kay Rossbach
A story of a mother and her daughter traveling to Mars. It is basically about the trials and tribulations of getting through the
Lia
By: Alexander Dovelin
A short tale of the woman who helped build space travel with androids. I thought it was pretty.
Passing Through
By: Jamie Kaye & Sunny
Marty is having a phone conversation as he zips around the world with a transporter. This one was another story too abstract for me. I did like the art, though.
Ignition
By: Iris Jay (writer) & Skolli Rubedo (artist)
Astra Salvage is on a post-apocalyptic Earth with an assignment to recover an antique space rocket. I like the story. It had a good flow. I liked the characters as well. They are likable enough I wish I could go on more adventures with them.
Brilliant + Handsome
By: CB Webb
A couple kids (teens? adults?) are arguing whether or not the washing machine with an FTL drive is space worthy. This was more of a scene without a real end than a story. I think I can see what the creator was trying to do, but I think we needed more time with the characters or more than a single conversation of them arguing.
Space to Grow
By: NN Chan
SpaceAce is an astrobiologist out cataloging specimens from different planets and recording her adventures in an informational blog. This is a well formed story about internet bullying. I loved the art and the characters. I would love to read more, but the story was complete enough to not to need more.
FailSafe
By: Rachel Ordway
The unnamed character is trying to get home, but the ship’s onboard security systems will not let them. This is another one I feel is more capturing a feeling or moment rather than an actual story (though there is a feeling of rise and fall of action). It does perfectly capture desperation combined with anxiety and fear.
Finders Keepers
By: Ahueonao
A trio of young adults decide to travel to The Ozymandias, a luxury space station that is effectively abandon-ware in hopes for sweet sweet loot. This was great. It wasn’t anything deep, but the writing and the characters were so much fun. It is tied as my favorite from the collection.
Microwave
By: Jay Eaton
Rowan is traveling to a warp center with her constantly arguing uncles. I think this was an AMAZING coming-of-age or end-of-innocence story. This isn’t one of my favorites (I have a weakness for humor), but the creator did a great job.
Prodigal Sunset
By: James F. Wright & Little Corvus
A group of five teenagers of various alien species have two things in common; one, they all have the same deadly virus and two, they all have the same father? I had an extremely hard time understanding what was happening and then the story was just over. I felt like I was thrown in the middle of the story and didn’t get an end. I did like the character designs and how the virus was affecting them differently was interesting.
Story of a Rescue
By: Nathaniel Wilson
A brother and a sister are on a quest to find their step father who ran off to join a kind of space race. Normally, I am not a huge fan of people just sitting around just talking, but the writing was so entertaining that I have to make an exception. Also, the ending is the best. This tied for my favorite.
Words From the Dead
By: Jonathon Dalton
Meegan and Gabriel are trying to fund their astro-archeology research through video blogs even though the interest isn’t there until they find a new planet that has very intact “ruins.” I think the start was a little slow, but the ending was very good.
Solitary
By: David Andry (writer), Paul Schultz (art), Lucas Gattoni (letters)
The main character is doing time in a prison and gets the offer to live in a space colony to reduce his sentence. Very short with little dialog, but gets to the dark punchline very concisely without any extra fat.
Grandad’s Second Wife
By: Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
Sergio is visited by his grandpa who entered Earth (more or less) illegally and forces Sergio to host his worm wife so that she will not be caught by immigration. I love this one. It is a little silly and cartoony, but I had so much fun.
The Senior Project
By: Maia Kobabe
Willow is the only person in her class that does not want to build an FTL drive for their senior project and instead wants to work on a project that will improve the Earth rather than escape it. I thought this story was nice. It turns into a story of camaraderie between her and another student who is working on a FTL drive. I like friendship stories.
My Stars and Garters
By: Ainsley Seago
A Victorian couple want to escape persecution via space travel. It is a pretty fun short story and oddly optimistic in the end.
Way Home
By: Evan Dahm
A couple with a young daughter travel to another planet (world?) to escape civilization. This is a haunting story of darkness and going native.
February 4, 2022
The tag for two stars is "It was Ok". This was ok. I liked the idea of investigating what possibilities there would be with very cheap FTL (leaving out fuel and other costs for safe interstellar travel). Yet, I was disappointed with the stories overall. Many were too short or too much "fantasy". I got tired of reading it. The first story and introduction to the anthology was confusing. There were good stories and ideas in it and I did like the art.
April 28, 2019
Extremely good! A fun and weird series of space adventures. I heartily recommend it. It's got a great muddy and hopeful view of humanity
March 23, 2022
What would happen if we could escape?
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, in perfect detail, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will become instantly - and chaotically - democratized. The entire cosmos will be within reach of all humankind. This is what happens next.
.......
Freedom means many things to many people. In this anthology each writer is given the same premise and builds a very different story from it. Reading the introduction, I was thinking this might be a refreshing change of direction in most of the sci-fi I come across: Could this be something with an optimistic outlook?
Well..... not quite. For sure, there are some inspiring, uplifting tales here, but bright light still casts a shadow. The darker elements here are not neglected. I was not disappointed, however; this is still a fresh, rich and rewarding collection. The emphasis is mostly light-hearted, with cartoon-style art and no shortage of humour. I certainly enjoyed the overriding vibe of free expansion and final frontiers being explored by any Average Joe or Jane with a modicum of engineering skills.
Space is, by definition, the ultimate virgin territory, with room enough for everyone, and the scenario here is an explosive free-for-all... kind of like the 15th century Age of Discovery in reverse. Anyone with a reason to leave Earth, and there are many (environmental collapse of our home planet, dreams of riches, freedom for non-conformists) can find a patch of land - maybe even a whole world - to call their own.
Some stories focus on the practical aspects of space travel. FTL by itself is no good without a life-supporting vessel. Most people convert an Earth-bound vehicle of some kind into a space worthy craft, but one guy ventures to Mars in a specially-adapted washing machine (CB Webb's Brilliant & Handsome). Of course, things often go wrong, which is where the stories get more interesting...
More often the tale focuses on the social aspects of the great emigration. In Soft Physics by Blue Delliquanti two galaxy-hopping vloggers document their adventures, but are they running to something or away from something? Sometimes an assertion of independence can also be an excuse to abandon responsibility.
In Space To Grow by NN Chan a young astrobiology graduate sets off on an exploratory expedition and blogs her journey to a legion of dedicated fans.... but cannot escape trolling. Are humans forever doomed to export our stupidity with us wherever we go?
In Prodigal Sunset by writer James F. Wright and artist Little Corvus a group of hybrid 'cousins' from five different planets live with the legacy of one human's recklessness in exporting disease to new worlds; an echo of Earth's history.
In Wayhome by Evan Dahm a couple raise their daughter in the forest of an isolated planet, away from the "fallen" civilisation of humanity... but is their new home as welcoming as they believe?
Over the 290 Black and white pages many different ideas are explored, but one underlying theme here is that no matter where you go, no matter how far you run, there is one thing you cannot leave behind: yourself, with all your messy, complicated baggage.
They say travel broadens the mind, and that is surely at the very heart of science fiction, where the endless vistas act as an unlimited canvas for the imagination. This is, overall, a very heartwarming collection with some beautiful monochrome artwork to get lost in. In our minds, we can travel anywhere in the universe. The sky is not the limit... but our own nature might be.
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, in perfect detail, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will become instantly - and chaotically - democratized. The entire cosmos will be within reach of all humankind. This is what happens next.
.......
Freedom means many things to many people. In this anthology each writer is given the same premise and builds a very different story from it. Reading the introduction, I was thinking this might be a refreshing change of direction in most of the sci-fi I come across: Could this be something with an optimistic outlook?
Well..... not quite. For sure, there are some inspiring, uplifting tales here, but bright light still casts a shadow. The darker elements here are not neglected. I was not disappointed, however; this is still a fresh, rich and rewarding collection. The emphasis is mostly light-hearted, with cartoon-style art and no shortage of humour. I certainly enjoyed the overriding vibe of free expansion and final frontiers being explored by any Average Joe or Jane with a modicum of engineering skills.
Space is, by definition, the ultimate virgin territory, with room enough for everyone, and the scenario here is an explosive free-for-all... kind of like the 15th century Age of Discovery in reverse. Anyone with a reason to leave Earth, and there are many (environmental collapse of our home planet, dreams of riches, freedom for non-conformists) can find a patch of land - maybe even a whole world - to call their own.
Some stories focus on the practical aspects of space travel. FTL by itself is no good without a life-supporting vessel. Most people convert an Earth-bound vehicle of some kind into a space worthy craft, but one guy ventures to Mars in a specially-adapted washing machine (CB Webb's Brilliant & Handsome). Of course, things often go wrong, which is where the stories get more interesting...
More often the tale focuses on the social aspects of the great emigration. In Soft Physics by Blue Delliquanti two galaxy-hopping vloggers document their adventures, but are they running to something or away from something? Sometimes an assertion of independence can also be an excuse to abandon responsibility.
In Space To Grow by NN Chan a young astrobiology graduate sets off on an exploratory expedition and blogs her journey to a legion of dedicated fans.... but cannot escape trolling. Are humans forever doomed to export our stupidity with us wherever we go?
In Prodigal Sunset by writer James F. Wright and artist Little Corvus a group of hybrid 'cousins' from five different planets live with the legacy of one human's recklessness in exporting disease to new worlds; an echo of Earth's history.
In Wayhome by Evan Dahm a couple raise their daughter in the forest of an isolated planet, away from the "fallen" civilisation of humanity... but is their new home as welcoming as they believe?
Over the 290 Black and white pages many different ideas are explored, but one underlying theme here is that no matter where you go, no matter how far you run, there is one thing you cannot leave behind: yourself, with all your messy, complicated baggage.
They say travel broadens the mind, and that is surely at the very heart of science fiction, where the endless vistas act as an unlimited canvas for the imagination. This is, overall, a very heartwarming collection with some beautiful monochrome artwork to get lost in. In our minds, we can travel anywhere in the universe. The sky is not the limit... but our own nature might be.
December 25, 2018
FTL, Y’ALL Is The Sci-Fi Trip In Comic Form That We All Need To Take
The premise of this collection is:
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, with absolute precision, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will be instantly—and chaotically—democratized. The entire cosmos is suddenly within reach of all humankind, without organization, authority or limitation.
FTL, Y’ALL is a immerse trip into the imaginations and hearts of all the folks who contributed to this volume of comics. With the premise of technology and science, defining and redefining what home is and exploration that isn’t just in space–this comics anthology does deep and it is better for it.
With over 20 stories and over 300 pages of comics, FTL, Y’all! is one of Iron Circus Comics’ biggest and most intriguing anthologies ever.
And if you’re a ICC fan like myself, I think it might be in your top three after you finish reading thorough the tome–it’s a strong contender to the Smut Peddler books for me. While the anthology boasts a big variety of different art styles there are a few stories that have art that is a bit hard to follow and may come across as distracting.
Thankfully its not enough to ruin the experience for me and even those stories do, at heart follow the theme of the adult sci-fi anthology even if the unique art styles flex in their own way. I was really impressed by the wide range of personal struggle and out this world drama bombs that were dropped making nearly every story I read a treasure to read and ruminate on.
There seemed to be a story for everything under the sun from having unwavering moral responsibility to keep access to evolving technology for the people and keep government out (Alexander’s Dovelin’s “LIA”) to having to grow up fast in a new and changing world when adults fail you (Rachel Ordway’s “Fail safe”, Nathaniel Wilson’s “Story of A Rescue”).
There were stories that gave a spotlight on not being welcomed due to being apart of colonizing efforts (Jonathan Dalton’s “Words From The Dead” to being seen as “other” when being human isn’t the majority (Evan Dahm’s “Way Home”) This collection captures some of the best storytellers and artists with some veteran talents and newer emerging faces that I look forward to following and seeing in this newer wave of folks working in the comics industry giving us that work.
Read the rest of my review here: http://blacknerdproblems.com/ftl-yall...
The premise of this collection is:
Six months from now, detailed schematics anonymously uploaded to the Internet will describe, with absolute precision, how to build a faster-than-light engine for $200 in easily-available parts. Space travel will be instantly—and chaotically—democratized. The entire cosmos is suddenly within reach of all humankind, without organization, authority or limitation.
FTL, Y’ALL is a immerse trip into the imaginations and hearts of all the folks who contributed to this volume of comics. With the premise of technology and science, defining and redefining what home is and exploration that isn’t just in space–this comics anthology does deep and it is better for it.
With over 20 stories and over 300 pages of comics, FTL, Y’all! is one of Iron Circus Comics’ biggest and most intriguing anthologies ever.
And if you’re a ICC fan like myself, I think it might be in your top three after you finish reading thorough the tome–it’s a strong contender to the Smut Peddler books for me. While the anthology boasts a big variety of different art styles there are a few stories that have art that is a bit hard to follow and may come across as distracting.
Thankfully its not enough to ruin the experience for me and even those stories do, at heart follow the theme of the adult sci-fi anthology even if the unique art styles flex in their own way. I was really impressed by the wide range of personal struggle and out this world drama bombs that were dropped making nearly every story I read a treasure to read and ruminate on.
There seemed to be a story for everything under the sun from having unwavering moral responsibility to keep access to evolving technology for the people and keep government out (Alexander’s Dovelin’s “LIA”) to having to grow up fast in a new and changing world when adults fail you (Rachel Ordway’s “Fail safe”, Nathaniel Wilson’s “Story of A Rescue”).
There were stories that gave a spotlight on not being welcomed due to being apart of colonizing efforts (Jonathan Dalton’s “Words From The Dead” to being seen as “other” when being human isn’t the majority (Evan Dahm’s “Way Home”) This collection captures some of the best storytellers and artists with some veteran talents and newer emerging faces that I look forward to following and seeing in this newer wave of folks working in the comics industry giving us that work.
Read the rest of my review here: http://blacknerdproblems.com/ftl-yall...
July 21, 2019
FTL, Y'all! (FTL standing for "faster-than-light") is an anthology of comics that explore what comes after detailed and simple plans for a $200 faster-than-light engine is anonymously uploaded, becoming "instantly - and chaotically - democratized". Each story took a completely different approach to the idea of "what comes after": some dealing with life on Earth directly after these plans would become available, some skipping years to a future in which FTL travel is a part of life in space. Each story was creative and beautifully illustrated and emotional, and each had a little nugget of the meaning behind humanity in this alternate future.
Stories that deal with the premise of "what comes after" are already my favorite thing ever (see: 17776 and Station Eleven) and the fact that this is a comics anthology is basically the icing on the cake. Some of these stories were humorous, dealing with Space TSA and interstellar travel, and some dealt with the conundrums of mortality after escaping Earth. Sprinkled throughout each and every story, however, were reminders of Earth, ranging again from livestreams and social media to global warming and police states. This is honestly one of my favorite things about anthologies- they can make you feel so much and can cover such a broad range of topics! And these folks did it in drawings!
Favorite stories:
"M.S.P.I.P.S.P" by Kay Rossbach: a very cute little story about a mom and daughter and their amusing predicament of events as they try to navigate the Minneapolis/St. Paul Interplanetary Spaceport (remember Space TSA?).
"Ignition" by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo: aliens! Surprisingly few of these stories had aliens as main characters. But this one had aliens and sentient spacecrafts!
"Space to Grow" by N.N. Chan: BLOGGING IN SPACE. Both a fun, space-commentary on online culture, engaging with trolls, and taking care of yourself online, along with just a very cute art style to watch an exploration of different planets.
"The Senior Project" by Maia Hobabe: A very sweet story of friendship, family, and senior projects. Also, botany. I think The Martian proved that botany in space is incredibly fascinating.
Stories that deal with the premise of "what comes after" are already my favorite thing ever (see: 17776 and Station Eleven) and the fact that this is a comics anthology is basically the icing on the cake. Some of these stories were humorous, dealing with Space TSA and interstellar travel, and some dealt with the conundrums of mortality after escaping Earth. Sprinkled throughout each and every story, however, were reminders of Earth, ranging again from livestreams and social media to global warming and police states. This is honestly one of my favorite things about anthologies- they can make you feel so much and can cover such a broad range of topics! And these folks did it in drawings!
Favorite stories:
"M.S.P.I.P.S.P" by Kay Rossbach: a very cute little story about a mom and daughter and their amusing predicament of events as they try to navigate the Minneapolis/St. Paul Interplanetary Spaceport (remember Space TSA?).
"Ignition" by Iris Jay and Skolli Rubedo: aliens! Surprisingly few of these stories had aliens as main characters. But this one had aliens and sentient spacecrafts!
"Space to Grow" by N.N. Chan: BLOGGING IN SPACE. Both a fun, space-commentary on online culture, engaging with trolls, and taking care of yourself online, along with just a very cute art style to watch an exploration of different planets.
"The Senior Project" by Maia Hobabe: A very sweet story of friendship, family, and senior projects. Also, botany. I think The Martian proved that botany in space is incredibly fascinating.
August 18, 2019
I thought that overall this was a very good effort. The artwork and stories vary a lot, but that's a strength rather than a weakness. In any case the idea of a very cheap space drive isn't new Frederick Brown in "What Mad Universe" (1949) had an alternate universe in which modified sewing machines become jump drives. What is new is the variety of stories in the collection, all based around the simple premise of dirt cheap space travel for the masses. There are few that are hard science, and some are thinly disguised commentaries about contemporary USA politics and practices, and the Internet. And yet together the stories really do give a good overview on how such a technological breakthrough would impact society. I like that there's a splattering of queer characters in this collection as well. My favourite stories of the anthology are LIA, IGNITION, SPACE TO GROW, WORDS FROM THE DEAD, THE SENIOR PROJECT, and STORY OF A RESCUE. Some of the characters die, some transcend life, others find fulfilment, frustration, or slavery. It's a good read for me.
But, I may be biased about this. I was trying to write comic stories like this back in the late 80s /early 90s, inspired by Van de Graaf Generator's track "Pioneers over C", about the flood of pioneers into space. And it occurs to me that the one story missing is just how the $200 FTL plans got on the internet. Very tempted to go off and write/draw just that!
But, I may be biased about this. I was trying to write comic stories like this back in the late 80s /early 90s, inspired by Van de Graaf Generator's track "Pioneers over C", about the flood of pioneers into space. And it occurs to me that the one story missing is just how the $200 FTL plans got on the internet. Very tempted to go off and write/draw just that!
Read
August 4, 2020For once I’m not giving a rating. I don’t feel I would be happy with any rating I give this, because it is a collection of 19 comic stories, with wildly different illustration styles and storylines. Obviously there is a common thread; the FTL (Faster Than Light) warp drives, and the use of black and white illustrations rather than colour. Some were funny, some were poignant, some were bleak. There’s a real range, and I appreciate that. There’s also a fantastic range of characters and identities which is so nice to see.
Out of the 19 stories, I particularly enjoyed 11 of them. That’s not to say that the other stories were badly written, or drawn, they just didn’t capture me in the same way. Here are my favourites (in order read, not order of favourites):
- Lia by Alexxander Dovelin
- Passing Through by Jamie Kaye Sunny
- Space to Grow by NN Chan
- Microwave by Jay Eaton
- Prodigal Sunset by James F Wright and Little Corvus
- Story of a Rescue by Nathanial Wilson
- Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton
- Solitary by David Andry, Paul Schultz and Lucas Gattoni
- Granddad’s Second Wife by Cheez Hayama and Earl T Roske
- The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe
- Wayhome by Evan Dahm
I realised I prefer the cleaner graphics of a lot of them, and the less technical stories in general. I enjoy reading about the human (or living being) experience, rather than the science. Again, that’s personal preference.
Out of the 19 stories, I particularly enjoyed 11 of them. That’s not to say that the other stories were badly written, or drawn, they just didn’t capture me in the same way. Here are my favourites (in order read, not order of favourites):
- Lia by Alexxander Dovelin
- Passing Through by Jamie Kaye Sunny
- Space to Grow by NN Chan
- Microwave by Jay Eaton
- Prodigal Sunset by James F Wright and Little Corvus
- Story of a Rescue by Nathanial Wilson
- Words From the Dead by Jonathon Dalton
- Solitary by David Andry, Paul Schultz and Lucas Gattoni
- Granddad’s Second Wife by Cheez Hayama and Earl T Roske
- The Senior Project by Maia Kobabe
- Wayhome by Evan Dahm
I realised I prefer the cleaner graphics of a lot of them, and the less technical stories in general. I enjoy reading about the human (or living being) experience, rather than the science. Again, that’s personal preference.
July 30, 2024
I originally discovered this when it was still in the planning stages, via a now-vanished blog for writers. I was astonished at how mundane the commenters' ideas were. Either ideas for improving terrestrial transportation, or focusing on the obstacles instead of the possibilities. I immediately wanted to write about going out and having Adventures in the style of the old pulps, except in the greater galaxy instead of the Old Solar System that's no longer really plausible.
And then I discovered it was for comics, not prose -- and while I do have some background in art, I wasn't really strong enough in comics to script and draw my own comic. So I moved on to other projects, and pretty much forgot about it -- until I discovered the finished volume at my local library.
It's interesting to see a mix of light and dark, the grim and the hopeful. Stories of people who clearly don't have that righteous Right Stuff to be astronauts heading out to the black and meeting horrible ends, and stories of making connections on distant planets with people very different from us in outward form, like the young man who takes a worm prince back home so he can prevent a wicked relative from becoming king of the worm people.
On the whole, it's a fascinating exploration of the idea of easy but non-obvious FTL in a different medium from its predecessors (Harry Turtledove's "The Road Not Taken" and Jerry Oltion's "The Getaway Special").
And then I discovered it was for comics, not prose -- and while I do have some background in art, I wasn't really strong enough in comics to script and draw my own comic. So I moved on to other projects, and pretty much forgot about it -- until I discovered the finished volume at my local library.
It's interesting to see a mix of light and dark, the grim and the hopeful. Stories of people who clearly don't have that righteous Right Stuff to be astronauts heading out to the black and meeting horrible ends, and stories of making connections on distant planets with people very different from us in outward form, like the young man who takes a worm prince back home so he can prevent a wicked relative from becoming king of the worm people.
On the whole, it's a fascinating exploration of the idea of easy but non-obvious FTL in a different medium from its predecessors (Harry Turtledove's "The Road Not Taken" and Jerry Oltion's "The Getaway Special").
January 7, 2019
Fascinating, fascinating! I’m so glad I got in on this Kickstarter! Great stories - stories that really make you think about life. Think about life in this world. Where are we? Where are we going? It reminds you how terrible people are. And how wonderful people are. Or maybe how terrible we can be as a people. And how wonderful we can be as people.
This may seem odd, but this book impacts all the senses! The cover is visually amazing - I love the art, and the luminescent design.
But the cover - and the pages - feel wonderful. This is what reading is all about! The fantastic joy of reading a book - even holding it! It smells like happiness!
(Well, I have to say, that I did not taste it.)
I liked every one of these stories. But a few stand out. Story of a Rescue was amazing on so many different levels. Or maybe I should say layers.
Finders Keepers made me laugh.
Space to Grow had so much truth.
Lia blew me away.
I loved The Senior Project. It gave me chills.
If these are the kinds of books Iron Circus Comics puts out, I’m getting more!
This may seem odd, but this book impacts all the senses! The cover is visually amazing - I love the art, and the luminescent design.
But the cover - and the pages - feel wonderful. This is what reading is all about! The fantastic joy of reading a book - even holding it! It smells like happiness!
(Well, I have to say, that I did not taste it.)
I liked every one of these stories. But a few stand out. Story of a Rescue was amazing on so many different levels. Or maybe I should say layers.
Finders Keepers made me laugh.
Space to Grow had so much truth.
Lia blew me away.
I loved The Senior Project. It gave me chills.
If these are the kinds of books Iron Circus Comics puts out, I’m getting more!
October 24, 2018
This is a pretty good anthology of sci-fi stories involving space travel and lesbianism. It's sometimes tough reviewing an anthology, not only because there are a variety of different art styles and stories, but also because placement is so important.
The first story wasn't for me. The use of Youtube style comments to serve as conversation distracted me from the story, though I enjoyed the premise. This turned up as IMs in another story.
Overall, I liked the stories in this collection, as well as the art. I'm always impressed when an anthology can showcase a variety of different art styles using no colors but black and white.
While I didn't love the book, I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction anthology, comics or otherwise. People looking for better representation in comics will also enjoy this book. And hopefully, if you do pick up this book and you enjoy a particular story, check and see if the creators have any other books available.
The first story wasn't for me. The use of Youtube style comments to serve as conversation distracted me from the story, though I enjoyed the premise. This turned up as IMs in another story.
Overall, I liked the stories in this collection, as well as the art. I'm always impressed when an anthology can showcase a variety of different art styles using no colors but black and white.
While I didn't love the book, I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction anthology, comics or otherwise. People looking for better representation in comics will also enjoy this book. And hopefully, if you do pick up this book and you enjoy a particular story, check and see if the creators have any other books available.
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